Greece - Grade 4

The Adventure
Students become immersed in the history of ancient Greece as they read about the experiences of four Time Trackers who travel through a time warp to ancient Greece. Through the study of Greek society, daily life, and artistic and literary achievements, students develop and strengthen skills in comprehension, word study and analysis, writing, and the use of graphic sources. Students also receive daily opportunities to read for information and pleasure as they trace the origins of modern-day gifts from this important civilization.

The Spirit of the Ancient Greeks
Following their Time Tracker friends on an exciting adventure, students create a timeline of ancient Greece and develop their skills using graphic sources. The intriguing story of the Trojan Horse captivates fourth-graders and leads to the creation of descriptive narratives. They read for information as they delve into Greek society. Students get an inside look at a soldier's life and follow oral and written directions to make Greek shields.

Daily Life
To understand life as Greek citizens, fourth-graders read text from multiple sources. They refine their compare-and-contrast skills by reading and writing about the roles of children. Students improve their abilities in drawing inferences as they study how Greek life and thought is reflected in art and architecture. And to experience artistic expression, students mold and decorate clay pots.

Myths and Philosophies
In week 3, strategies to analyze words are enhanced through daily instructional reading lessons. Students study the great thinkers of Athens, the intellectual capital of the ancient world. Following in the footsteps of the Greek philosophers, students prepare and deliver a classroom debate. The mythological story of Pan is brought to life when students hone their sequencing skills and create their own panpipes. Students take their imaginations to new heights by writing narratives about an original mythological character.

Greek Gifts
To conclude their adventures in ancient Greece, students examine cultural gifts from the Golden Age. Students develop deeper understandings of cause-and-effect relationships through content-area reading. They work collaboratively to perform a play based on a Greek fable. As readers, they draw conclusions about the important contributions to today's world and incorporate them in a closing ceremony celebrating the grandeur of Greece.

Skills and Strategies:

	Comprehension of text
	Word recognition
	Use of graphic sources
	Reading for pleasure and information
	Writing to communicate ideas

Benefits:

	Improves reading performance
	Aligns with state and national standards
	Develops reading comprehension strategies and essential
	word-attack skills
	Strengthens phonological awareness and letter-sound
	correspondences
	Includes relevant, high-interest content and concepts
	Provides ongoing student assessment
	Allows teachers to focus on the quality of instruction with
	explicit daily lesson plans
	Engages and motivates teachers and students

Each Classroom Receives:

	Comprehensive Curriculum Guide with daily lesson plans
	Content-related instructional materials
	Built-in assessment tools
	Suggestions for parent and community involvement
	Voyager Adventure Books

Parent Connection:

Parent Guides (English or Spanish)

Model:

	Single grade-level program for grade 4
	Up to 4 hours of learning adventures per day for 4 weeks,
	Total of 80 hours

Curriculum Support
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